Urdu Report Desk
A fake MDCAT 2026 paper has been circulating on social media, prompting the relevant authorities to warn candidates against relying on unverified examination material.
STS said the paper being shared on social media is fake and advised candidates not to trust fake papers or misleading content related to MDCAT 2026.
STS Warns Candidates Against Fake Material
STS urged candidates to remain cautious about fake news and unverified information circulating on social media and to focus on their preparation for MDCAT 2026.
The testing authority also advised candidates to reach their examination centers at the designated time, emphasizing that hard work and preparation are the foundation of success.
MDCAT 2026 Held Across 34 Cities
The MDCAT 2026 examination was conducted simultaneously on Sunday in 34 cities across Pakistan, as well as at an international examination center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, under the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC).
According to official figures, around 138,160 candidates registered for MDCAT 2026. The candidates are seeking admission to medical and dental colleges.
Why the Examination Was Postponed
MDCAT 2026 was originally scheduled for August 16, 2026. However, the examination was postponed until September 20 on the direction of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to ensure transparency, security and better administrative arrangements.
Available records indicate that a subcommittee of the Senate Standing Committee on Health had expressed concerns over hundreds of complaints received from students regarding the examination and its schedule.
PMDC officials had clarified at the time that, apart from the examination date, the eligibility criteria, registration procedure and other conditions would remain unchanged.
Candidate Numbers by Region
Punjab recorded 49,199 registered candidates, followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with 38,841 and Sindh with 34,233.
Balochistan had 9,923 candidates, while 2,761 candidates were registered from Azad Jammu and Kashmir, 1,721 from Gilgit-Baltistan and 1,245 from Islamabad. A total of 237 students took the examination at the Riyadh center.
Multiple Paper Versions Prepared
Separate papers were prepared for each province, with at least two versions for each paper. Each paper contained 180 questions drawn from a question bank of approximately 8,000 questions.
Around 80 education experts were involved in preparing the examination material. The practical arrangements were assigned to designated universities and provincial authorities.
The University of Health Sciences Lahore was responsible for Punjab, Sukkur IBA University for Sindh, Khyber Medical University for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Bolan University of Medical and Health Sciences for Balochistan.
Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University was assigned responsibility for Islamabad, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan and the Riyadh center.
Social Media Response
Compared with previous years, the social media response to this year’s MDCAT was relatively cautious and information-focused.
In 2023, the MDCAT date became a major social media trend, while students expressed strong concerns about having insufficient preparation time. This year, timely and detailed instructions from PMDC appeared to reduce confusion.
However, the council had already warned students and the public against relying on unverified social media pages, rumors and fake news, urging them to use official channels for information.
Education Experts on Examination Arrangements
Education experts said conducting the examination nationwide on the same day and at the same time, along with separate papers and multiple versions for different provinces, could support examination transparency.
They also said that a large question bank containing around 8,000 questions and the involvement of more than 80 experts could reduce the chances of paper leakage or cheating.
At the same time, concerns among students regarding overlaps between board examinations and admission-test schedules remain under discussion, with further reforms expected to be considered in the future.
